The Bible

 

耶利米哀歌 4

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1 何其失光!純何其變色!所的石頭倒在各市口上。

2 錫安寶貴的眾子好比精金,現在何竟算為窯匠所做的瓦瓶?

3 野狗尚且把奶哺其子,我民的婦人倒成為殘忍,好像曠野的鴕鳥一般。

4 吃奶孩子的舌頭因乾渴貼住上膛;孩童求餅,無人擘給他們。

5 素來美好食物的,現今在街上變為孤寒;素來臥朱紅褥子的,現今躺臥糞堆

6 都因我眾民的孽比所多瑪還大;所多瑪雖然無人加於他,還是轉眼之間被傾覆

7 錫安的貴冑素來比純淨,比奶更白;他們的身體比紅寶玉(或譯:珊瑚)更紅,像光潤的藍寶石一樣。

8 現在他們的面貌比煤炭更黑,以致在街上無人認識;他們的皮膚緊貼骨頭,枯乾如同槁

9 的不如被刀殺的,因為這是缺了田間的土產,就身體衰弱,漸漸消滅。

10 慈悲的婦人,當我眾民被毀滅的時候,親自己的兒女作為食物。

11 耶和華發怒成就他所定的,倒出他的烈怒;在錫安使著起,燒燬錫安的根基

12 上的君和世上的居民都不信敵人和仇敵能進耶路撒冷的城

13 這都因他先知罪惡祭司孽;他們在城中流了人的血。

14 他們在街上如瞎子亂走,又被血玷污,以致人不能摸他們的衣服。

15 人向他們喊著:!不潔淨的,躲開,躲開!不要挨近我!他們逃走飄流的時候,列國中有人:他們不可仍在這裡寄居。

16 耶和華發怒,將他們分散,不再眷顧他們;人不重看祭司,也不厚待長老

17 我們仰望人來幫助,以致眼目失明,還是枉然;我們所盼望的,竟盼望一個不能人的國!

18 仇敵追趕我們的腳步像打獵的,以致我們不敢在自己的街上行走。我們的結局臨近;我們的日子滿足;我們的結局到了。

19 追趕我們的比空中的更快;他們在上追逼我們,在曠野埋伏,等候我們

20 耶和華的受膏者好比我們鼻中的氣,在他們的坑中被捉住;我們曾論到他:我們必在他蔭,在列國中存活。

21 烏斯以東民哪,只管歡喜快樂;苦杯也必傳到你那裡;你必喝醉,以致露體。

22 錫安的民哪,你孽的刑罰受足了,耶和華必不使你再被擄去。以東的民哪,他必追討你的孽,顯露你的罪惡

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #660

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660. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them and shall be glad.- That this signifies the delights of infernal love with those who are opposed to the goods and truths of the church, is evident from the signification of they that dwell upon the earth, as denoting those who are in the church; in the present case, those therein who are in evils and in falsities therefrom, consequently those who are opposed to its goods and truths; and from the signification of rejoicing and being glad, as denoting here the delight of infernal love; for all joy and all gladness is from love. For every one rejoices and is glad when his love is favoured, and when he is in pursuit of and attains the object of his love; in a word, all man's joy proceeds from his love, and all sadness and grief of mind from antagonism to his love.

[2] It is said "to rejoice and to be glad" because of the marriage of good and truth. For joy is said of good because it relates to love, as it properly pertains to the heart and will, and gladness is said of truth, because it relates to love of truth, as it properly pertains to the mind and its thought; therefore we say "joy of heart" and "gladness of mind." For everywhere in the Word two expressions occur, one of which has reference to good and the other to truth, and this is the case because the conjunction of good and truth makes both heaven and the church, therefore both heaven and the church are compared to a marriage, from the fact that the Lord is called the bridegroom and husband, and heaven and the church, the bride and wife. He therefore who is not in that marriage is neither an angel of heaven, nor a man of the church. The reason of this also is, that good is not possible with any one unless formed by truths, nor is truth possible unless it lives from good. For all truth is the form of good, and all good is the esse of truth, and because one is not possible without the other, it follows that the marriage of good and truth must necessarily exist both with the men of the church and the angels of heaven; also all intelligence and wisdom are from that marriage, for from it truths and goods are being continually born, by which the understanding and will are formed.

[3] These things have been stated to make it clear why it is said "to rejoice and be glad;" for to rejoice is stated of good and its love or affection, and to be glad is stated of truth, and its love or affection. Similarly also in many other parts of the Word, in the following passages:

"The heavens shall be glad and the earth shall rejoice" (Psalm 96:11).

"Let all that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee" (Psalm 40:16; 70:4).

"The just shall be glad, and exult before God, and shall rejoice in gladness" (Psalm 68:3).

"That we may rejoice all our days, make us glad according to the days thou hast afflicted us" (Psalm 90:14, 15).

"Be glad in Jerusalem, and exult in her, all ye that love her, rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn over her" (Isaiah 66:10).

"Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom" (Lamentations 4:21).

"Behold joy and gladness; killing the ox" (Isaiah 22:13).

"They shall obtain joy and gladness, sadness and sighing shall flee away" (Isaiah 35:10; 51:11).

"Joy and gladness shall be found in Zion, confession and the voice of singing" (Isaiah 51:3).

"Thou wilt make me to hear joy and gladness" (Psalm 51:8).

"Gladness and joy are cut off from the house of our God" (Joel 1:16).

"The fast of the tenth month shall be to the house of Judah for joy and for gladness" (Zech. 8:19).

"The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, and the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride" (Jeremiah 7:34; 25:10; 33:11).

[4] In the place of joy, exultation is also mentioned, because exultation like joy, is said of good, because it relates to love, to the heart and to the will; as in the following passages:

"Jacob shall exult, Israel shall be glad" (Psalm 14:7; 53:6).

"I exult and am glad in thy kindness" (Psalm 31:7).

"Be glad in Jehovah, and exult, O ye just" (Psalm 32:11).

"The mount of Zion shall be glad, and the daughters of Judah shall exult" (Psalm 48:11).

"Let all that trust in thee be glad, and let them that love thy name exult in thee" (Psalm 5:11).

"This is the day which Jehovah hath made, we will exult and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).

"We will exult and be glad in his salvation" (Isaiah 25:9).

"Be glad and exult for ever in the things which I create" (Isaiah 65:18).

"Exult and be glad that Jehovah hath magnified his doing" (Joel 2:21).

"Sons of Zion exult and be glad in Jehovah your God" (Joel 2:23; Habakkuk 3:18).

"Be glad and exult with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem" (Zephan. 3:14).

"Gladness and exultation are taken away from Carmel" (Isaiah 16:10; Jeremiah 48:33).

The angel said unto Zacharias, "Thou shalt have gladness and exultation, and many shall rejoice at his birth" (Luke 1:14).

In all these passages, exultation signifies delight from the love and affection for good, and gladness signifies pleasure from the love and affection for truth.

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.